Louvered sign construction



April 11, 1967 w. T. WERNER 3,313,131

LOUVERED SIGN CONSTRUCTION 2 Sheets-Shet 1 Filed Dec. 7, 1964 INVENTOR WILLY T WERNER ATTORNEYS April 11, 1967 w.'r. WERNER LOUVERED SIGN CONSTRUCTION 2 sheets sheet 2 Filed Dec. 7, 1964 INVENTOR- WILLY T. WERNER ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,313,131 LOUVERED SIGN CONSTRUCTION Willy T. Werner, 12326 E. McNichols, Detroit, Mich. 48205 Filed Dec. 7, 1964, Ser. No. 416,346 12 Claims. (Cl. 40-76) My invention relates to signboard structures, and more particularly to improvements in louvered type of signboards in which polygonal shaped vertically extending members are rotated and indexed in such a way that a plurality of different advertising messages may be sequentially displayed in a single sign location.

One major problem with this type of signboard structure is that it is difficult and costly to change the advertising messages. Usually a large sign picture or message will be made in paper and cut into strips, and the strips are then pasted to the respective louver panels, or the message may be painted on the panels. However, removal and replacement is a diflicult and lengthy process, and the message itself is subject to wear and damage from wind, rain and other elements, such that it is advantageous to provide some sort of a cover for the panels. Heretofore, such covers have not been made in any satisfactory fashion.

It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to improve louver signboard construction by providing a simplified structure with readily removable covers for the panels.

It is a further object of the invention to improve louver panel construction, by providing a simplified reinforcing structure, which leaves the panels still separated, so that appropriately constructed covers may be readily snapped into place.

These and many other objects 'of the invention will become apparent upon reference to the following description and the accompanying drawings, in which like reference characters refer to like parts throughout the several views and in which FIG. 1 is a perspective diagrammatic view of a preferred louvered signboard structure embodying the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary perspective view of a single louver embodying one modification of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a top view of a louver, embodying another modification of the invention, and one preferred cover structure.

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary perspective view of a corner of the louver of FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is a bottom view of the signboard assembly of FIG. 1, with certain cover structure removed for clarity, and showing a preferred drive mechanism for the louvers.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of another preferred cover structure of the present invention, and

FIG. 7 is a top view of another louver modification.

A signboard structure 10 is shown diagrammatically in FIGS. 1 and 5 as comprising a frame assembly 12 supporting a plurality of triangularly cross-sectional shaped louvers 14 vertically positioned and disposed in close relationship with each other such that in one indexed position, one set of louver panels Will lie in a common plane, so that an advertising message may be displayed as a whole, covering the entire set of panels. A motor 16 or the like is provided to operate a drive shaft 18 intermittently in conventional fashion to rotate the louvers 14 by suitable gearing 20 or other means, so that a second set of louver panels 22 may be positioned to lie in the aforesaid common Plane, to display a second advertising message. A third advertising message would be displayed 3,313,131 Patented Apr. 11, 1967 ice when the third set of louver panels is rotated into position in the common plane.

The drive and indexing mechanism used may vary depending on preference, and since this is not an integral part of the present invention, other than enviromentally, a full description of such mechanism is not necessary.

FIG. 2 illustrates one preferred construction of a louver 14 in which three vertically disposed U-shaped support frame members 24 are mounted together with a top triangular plate 26 and a similar bottom plate 28 to provide support for three panels 22 riveted or otherwise secured as at 30 to the frame member 24.

The panels 22 extend-outwardly beyond the frame members 24, so that panel edges 22A are fairly close together, to form a longitudinally vertical slot 32 between each pair of adjacent panels 22 and to provide a space at each corner behind the edges of the panels 22.

FIGS. 3 and 4 illustrate another preferred type of construction, in which panels 34 have their side edges bent and reverse bent as at 34A and 3413 so that each edge of each panel will be locked to one edge of an adjacent panel, the reverse bent edge 34B fitting into a space provided by the reverse bent edge 34B, as indicated. The panels 34 are then preferably secured permanently together by any means such as rivets 36, passing through the reverse bent ends 34A and 34B as shown. This construction leaves spaces or slots 38 between the edges of adjacent panels. It will be noted that the slots 38 extend parallel to the face of one of the panels, but at an angle of about 60 degrees to the face of the other panel.

FIG. 7 illustrates a further modification in which the main louver structure 35 is made of an extruded triangular section having reinforcing portions 37 at the corners provided with slots 39 disposed at angles of 30 degrees to the faces of the section. This structure 35 may be transparent or translucent plastic or the like and be interiorly illuminated with a bulb 41.

Referring again to FIGS. 3 and 4 covers 40 are provided for each panel 34. Each cover 40 is preferably transparent, so that a paper or cardboard strip 42 carrying a part of the advertising message will be seen through the cover, the strip 42 overlying the panel 34.

Each cover 40 has one edge reverse bent as at 40A to form a flange 44 for engagement in the slot which lies parallel to the face of the respective panel 34. The other edge is bent at an acute angle, in this case 60 degrees, with respect to the plane of the cover 40 as at 4013 to form a flange 46 for engagement in the slot which is disposed at a 60 degree acute angle with respect to the plane of the panel 34. The flange 44 will be engaged first, and the angularly disposed flange 46 is then snapped into place over the other edge of the panel 34. In order to accomplish this readily, the cover 40, or rather the juncture of the flanges 44 and 46 with the edges of the panel 40. are resilient.

It will be apparent that the cover 40 as described and as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, will likewise fit the panels 22 shown in FIG. 2 with the flanges 44 and 46 engaging into the slots 32 at the edges of the panels 22. The slots 32 of FIG. 2 and 38 of FIGS. 3 and 4 are preferably such that they will readily receive one flange of a cover, but when the other flange of the adjoining cover is inserted, it will bind to hold both flanges securely in place.

In some cases, as in the modification shown in FIG. 7, it may be preferred or desirable to provide covers 43 with the edges 45 reverse bent to an acute angle of about 30 so that either one may first be engaged and the other then snapped in place.

Alternatively, the slots may be so close that they will readily clamp a single thickness of cover, in which case a cover 48 as shown in FIG. 6 may be used, the cover having staggered flange portions 50 and 52 with spaces therebetween to receive the flange portions of an adjoining or adjacent panel cover 48. The flanges S and 52 might both be at about a 30 reverse bend so that they would fit a structure like that shown in FIG. 7,

It will thus be apparent that I have provided a simplified louver construction in which the advertising message can be readily replaced or changed, by simply removing or loosening the angularly extending flange of one cover edge of each panel, taking out the existing message strip 42, and putting in the new copy, and then snapping the cover 40 back into place. With this arrangement a workman can replace all of the advertising messages very easily and rapidly without having to use paste, and the paper is protected from the elements by the cover. Furthermore, the louvers have a very simple and self-reinforced construction, so that they will be of light weight and impose the minimum load on the drive motor 16.

It will be further apparent that in the modification illustrated in FIGURE 7, that the covers 43 could be made of a relatively rigid material so that the flanges 45 could be slidably engaged in the slots 39. The cover members 43 can then be individaully raised or lowered, the flanges 45 frictionally preventing the covers from dropping down below the faces of the main louver structure 35. The advertising strip 42 could then be removed and replaced by axially sliding the cover 43 upwardly or downwardly to expose a portion of the strip 42.

It might also be possible to eliminate the intermediate paper 42 if segments of the advertising message were merely painted on the covers 40, 43 or 48 as the case may be, in which case the message would be readily changed by replacing the covers.

Although I have shown only a few preferred embodiments of the invention, it will be apparent to one skilled in the art to which this invention pertains, that various changes and modifications may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a signboard structure, the combination comprising:

(a) a face panel having parallel side edges,

(b) means supporting said face panel and secured to one face thereof spaced from said side edges,

(c) a cover for said face panel and having side edges substantially coinciding with the panel side edges,

(d) each cover side edge having a flange extending therefrom and extending around said face panel edges, one of said flanges being return bent 180 degrees to be disposed parallel with the plane of said cover and engage the back of said face panel, the other of said flanges being return bent to an acute angle of approximately '60 degrees with respect to the plane of said cover, and

(e) said second flange being resiliently joined to the cover whereby it may be snapped over its corresponding edge.

2. A louvered signboard structure comprising:

(a) a plurality of elongated planar face panels closely adjoined in a common plane to provide a substantially flat signboard surface,

(b) a cover for each panel face and substantially dimensionally coexistent therewith,

(0) each panel and its corresponding cover having substantially coextensive side edges, and

(d) each cover side edge having flange means removably engageable with the corresponding side edge of its corresponding panel at least one of said flange means at one of said side edges being formed to extend at an angle of approximately 60 with respect to the plane of said cover.

3. The structure as defined in claim 2 and in which:

(a) the other of said cover flanges extends around its corresponding panel edge and closely overlies the back of said panel,

(b) said first mentioned cover flange extends around its corresponding panel edge but extends at an acute angle from the back of said panel, and

(c) said other flange is resiliently joined to the cover whereby it may be snapped over its corresponding panel edge after the first flange has been engaged with its corresponding edge.

4. In a louvered signboard structure, a plurality of rotatable members each comprising:

(a) a plurality of planar face panels arranged edge to edge to form an elongated polygonal structure,

(b) means supporting said panels with their edges slightly spaced from the edges of adjoining panels to form slots intermediate the panels,

(c) a cover for each panel and substantially coextensive therewith,

(d) each cover having flanges extending into said slots and removably engaging with the edges of the corresponding panel with at least one of said flanges of each of said covers extending at an angle of approximately 60 with respect to the plane of said cover.

5. The structure as defined in claim 4 and in which:

(a) the flange engaged with one edge of the panel extends around the panel edge closely overlying the back of the panel,

(b) the flange engaged with the other edge of the panel extends at an angle from the back of said panel.

6. Thestructure as defined in claim 5 and in which the second mentioned flange is resiliently joined to the cover whereby it may be snapped over its corresponding panel edge after the first flange has been engaged with its corresponding edge.

7. A signboard structure for displaying advertising copy and the like comprising:

(a) a frame,

(b) an elongated multi-faced core member supported by said frame and having a polygonal cross-section,

(c) transparent cover structure enveloping said core member and overlying each face thereof for retention of copy between the core faces and the cover structure, and

(d) said cover structure being axially slidable .with respect to said core member to expose at least a portion of said copy and facilitate removal and replacement thereof.

8. The structure as defined in claim 7 and in which said cover structure comprises a transparent sheet element overlying each core face and each element engaged with the edges'of a respective face for retention on said core member.

9. The structure as defined in claim 8 and in which each element is individually axially slidable with respect to said core member to expose at least a portion of said copy and facilitate removal and replacement thereof.

10. In a signboard structure, a combination comprising:

(a) a face panel having parallel side edges,

(b) means supporting said face panel and secured to one face thereof spaced from said side edges,

(c) a cover for said face panel and having side edges substantially coinciding with the panel side edges,

((1) each cover side edge having a flange extending therefrom and extending around said face panel edges, one of said flanges being returned at to be disposed parallel with the plane of said cover and engage the back of said face panel, the other of said flanges being returned to form an acute angle greater than 30 with respect to the plane of said cover, and I (c) said second flange being resiliently joined to the cover whereby it may be snapped over its corresponding edge,

11. A louvered signboard structure comprising:

(a) a plurality of elongated planar face panels closely joined in a common plane to provide a substantially flat signboard surface,

(b) a cover for each panel face in substantially dimensional coexistent, therewith,

(0) each panel and its corresponding cover having substantially coextensive side edges, and

(d) each cover side edge having flange means removably engageable withe the corresponding side edge of its corresponding panel with at least one of said flange means at one of said side edges being formed to extend at an acute angle greater than 30 with respect to the plane of said cover.

12. In a louvered signboard structure a plurality of rotatable members each comprising:

(a) a plurality of planar face panels arranged edge to edge to form an elongated polygonal structure,

(b) means supporting said panels with their edges slightly spaced from the edges of the adjoining panels to form slots intermediate the panels,

(c) a cover for each panel and substantially coextensive therewith,

(d) each cover having flanges extending into said slots and removably engaging with the edges of the corresponding panel with at least one of said flanges of each of said covers extending at an acute angle greater than 30 with respect to the plane of said EUGENE R. CAPOZIO, Primary Examiner.

JEROME SCHNALL, Examiner.

20 W. GRIEB, Assistant Examiner. 

1. IN A SIGNBOARD STRUTURE, THE COMBINATION COMPRISING: (A) A FACE PANEL HAVING PARALLEL SIDE EDGES, (B) MEANS SUPPORTING SAID FACE PANEL AND SECURED TO ONE FACE THEREOF SPACED FROM SAID SIDE EDGES, (C) A COVER FOR SAID FACE PANEL AND HAVING SIDE EDGES SUBSTANTIALLY COINCIDING WITH THE PANEL SIDE EDGES, (D) EACH COVER SIDE EDGE HAVING A FLANGE EXTENDING THEREFROM AND EXTENDING AROUND SAID FACE PANEL EDGES, ONE OF SAID FLANGES BEING RETURN BENT 180 DEGREES TO BE DISPOSED PARALLEL WITH THE PLANE OF SAID 